Love Hurts
by Mystique007
Summary: Sarah wasn't looking for love when it came along. Now, she has a decision to make, and it won't be an easy one.
1. Chapter 1

I don't know how things got to this point. I was so sure I had found "The One", my Prince Charming. Now, I feel like my world makes no sense and I haven't a clue how to go about fixing it. Let me take you back to where it all started…

_Flashback to three years ago_

_I was a college dropout, working as a waitress in a small café in downtown St. Louis. It wasn't my dream job, but at least it paid the rent. _

"_Ready for your lunch break?" My friend and coworker Becca asked me._

"_Sure am…today has been a rough one so far. Where are we sitting?" I answered back._

_Becca pointed at a table in the far corner of the café and I nodded in agreement. "Let me finish making my salad and I'll join ya."_

_As I sat down across from her, she was checking her text messages on her phone and all of a sudden she squealed in excitement."What was that for?" I asked her._

"_Oh, my old high school sweetheart is back in town for a while and wants to hang out. We haven't dated in almost a decade, but we're still good friends. You should meet him. I think you two would really hit it off."_

"_Becca, you know I have a boyfriend…even if he does get on my nerves. Getting set up with another guy is just asking for trouble."_

_"Sarah, you know it's only cheating if you actually DO something with him. There's nothing wrong with letting me introduce you. Evan is a great guy, plus he's got a great bod. Besides, Josh has a bit of a personal hygiene problem…I don't know how you put up with that."_

_I rolled my eyes. Becca was not shy about pursuing men and typically had three or four hanging around. That just wasn't my style. "I don't know. I'll think about it and let you know."She nodded, and we both finished our lunches and went back to work. Nothing more was said on the subject that night._


	2. Chapter 2

I forgot for a while about Becca's "perfect guy" for me. I had a boyfriend, Josh, and I really couldn't stand him. Oh, he was nice, but he was a pushover and I hated a man who couldn't stand up to me. I was basically still with him only because he acted like a girl when I tried to break things off, and I just didn't want to deal with that drama.

_Six Months Later_

_I had had a rough day at work and told Becca I wanted to go home and drink that night. She said she wanted to hang out with me, but had a surprise first. She dragged me out to her car and told me to get in._

"_Where are we going?" I asked. I still had my work clothes on and really didn't want to be seen out in public without getting freshened up first._

"_You will see. You will like it, I promise." She winked at me._

_We pulled up in front of a white house. The grass out front was rather overgrown, and the outside looked like it needed a little work. I wrinkled up my nose and looked at her._

"_Better start explaining."_

"_Okay. Well don't be mad at me, but since you finally broke things off with Josh, I figured that it was time for you to meet Evan. I told him about you and he's dying to meet you." She had a sheepish grin on her face._

_I sighed. "You are in BIG trouble. I told you I didn't want to meet anyone else right now. Men suck and I'm having a good time on my own. Besides, I look like crap! You couldn't have let me go home and freshen up first?"_

_She just laughed at me. "Oh, honey you look fine! He won't care what you look like. Come on, we'd better get in there!" And with that, she jumped out of the car, pulled open my door, and dragged me up to the porch._

_She knocked on the door, and as it opened, I saw a gorgeous, chiseled man standing before me._

"_Evan, it's so good to see you!" Becca exclaimed as she gave him a hug. She turned to me. "This is Sarah."_

_He turned to me, and reached out to shake my hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Becca has told me a lot about you. Come on in, ladies."He opened the door wider and ushered us in. As we followed him in to the living room, I noticed he had an amazing butt. I had the sudden urge to just reach out and grab it, but thankfully was able to hold myself back. The house was nice on the inside, but rather sparse. Definitely a bachelor pad, I thought to myself, as I sat down on the faded tan couch. _

_Evan and Becca carried most of the conversation. I spoke up only to answer a question here and there. I just watched him out of the corner of my eye. I had a thing for dark haired, muscular men, and he fit that perfectly._

_All too soon, Becca announced that it was time to leave. "We both have to work early in the morning."_

_Evan looked a little disappointed and looked over at me. "Are you sure you need to go?" He asked me. "I could always give you a ride home if you wanted to hang out a little longer."I looked over at Becca. "Thanks for the offer, but I really do have to get home. There are a few things I need to do before hitting the hay."_

"_All right. Well you can't say I didn't try!" He joked and started walking us to the door._

_This time, we both got goodbye hugs. He held me just a little longer than he did Becca. He was so strong and smelled amazing. I was a little disappointed when he finally let me go. He stood on the porch and watched us as we drove away._

"_Sooo…what did you think?" Becca asked me, as soon as we rounded the corner._

"_He was definitely cute! I wouldn't mind seeing him again."_

_"Good. Awesome. 'Cause I slipped him your number. I'm sure he'll be calling you soon. He really seemed to like you!"_

_I gaped at her and playfully punched her arm. "You are evil!" I giggled._

_I slept well that night, dreaming of the gorgeous dark haired man I had just met._


	3. Chapter 3

I waited and waited for a phone call from Evan. After a week, I started getting a little worried. It would be just my luck if he decided to blow me off. I never seemed to get the hot guys. Sure they would flirt with me, but there was never any follow through, hence why I always ended up dating guys like Josh. Finally, I broke down and decided to give Becca a call to see if she knew what was up.

"_Hey woman…what's up?" She answered after the second ring._

"_Well, you probably going to make fun of me, but I've been waiting for a phone call from Evan, and still haven't got one. Have you talked to him?"_

"_No, I haven't. But Sarah, he is a busy guy. Do you even know what he does for a living? I'm sure you will hear from him soon, but sweetie, you just have to relax about it."_

"_I never caught what it is he does exactly." I responded. "You guys were talking about him being on the road a lot, but I never heard why."_

"_Um, he's a wrestler. I guess you don't really follow that stuff, but he's pretty well known." Becca voice rang with disbelief. She was a wrestling fanatic, but I could care less. _

"_I guess that explains why the man is so ripped," I said. "Well, sorry for bugging you. I guess I will sit here and wait some more."_

"_Why don't I bring over a bottle of wine and some movies and we'll make it a girls night?" Becca asked._

"_Sure! That sounds like fun. I already have plenty of snacks here. Just make sure you bring movies with some good eye candy because I could really use some of that tonight!"_

_She laughed and I could hear her moving around her apartment. "Okay, well I will be over shortly."_

_I hung up the phone and started straightening up my apartment. It wasn't long after I was done that there was a knock on my door, and Becca burst in, arms full._

"_I bring supplies!" She shouted. "Let's get this party started!"We popped open the bottle of wine and started the movie. Top Gun came on the screen, and I squealed. "I LOVE this movie!"_

_"I know, that's why I brought it." She responded. "Now drink up, and enjoy!"_

_It wasn't long after we started the movie that Becca's phone went off with a text message. Her eyes widened as she read it. "Guess who that was? Evan! He wants to know if you are going to be around tomorrow so he can call you!"_

_We both squealed and jumped around. "Um, you'd better tell him yes!" I told her._

"_I just did. Now, you do realize that I expect a detailed account of your conversation as soon as you hang up with him tomorrow, right?" She winked at me._

"_Of course! I have to dish to someone!"_

_We sat back down to finish the movie and the bottle of wine. It was turning out to be a pretty good night, after all._


	4. Chapter 4

_I barely slept that night. The next day, I was so nervous I couldn't even eat. I literally held on to my phone, scared that I was going to miss Evan's call._

_Finally, the phone rang._

"_Hello?" I asked, trying not to let my excitement and nervousness show in my voice._

"_Is this Sarah?" The voice on the other end asked._

"_Yes, it is. Evan?"_

"_You got it babe. How are you doing?"_

"_I'm great! And yourself?"_

"_Aw, man…I'm great. Tired and sore, but pretty good other than that."_

_I almost laughed. My mind was in the gutter after that statement, but I figured that might not be the best path to go down just yet. Instead I asked why he was so tired and sore._

"_I just moved all the way across town." He responded. "That's why it took me so long to actually call you. I don't know if Becca told you or not, but I got your number from her the night you guys came over."_

_"She did tell me. I wondered if you were going to call. I'm glad you did." _

"_I wanted to call you sooner, I swear. Moving sucks, though. The older I get, the harder it is on me. I think I might be done for a while."_

_I chuckled. "I hear ya on that one. I hate moving, but I do it way too much."_

"_Well, once I get settled in, you're definitely going to have to come over and see the new place. It shouldn't take me very long. Are you free next weekend?"_

_I jumped up and down and pumped my fist. "Of course!" I almost shrieked into the phone. _

"_Awesome. I will look forward to seeing your beautiful face again."_

_After giving me the address and figuring out the time I was to meet him, we hung up. I turned right around and called Becca._

_She didn't even say hello. "So, are you seeing him again?"_

"_Yes. Next weekend. I'm meeting him at his new place and we're going to go out from there to dinner and a movie."_

"_Aww…I'm so excited for you! See, I told you he was interested!" She sounded almost as excited as I felt._

"_I know…I just hate waiting. But, at least I know he had a good reason. So, are you free this afternoon to go shopping and help me find a perfect first date outfit?"_

"_Of course! Let me put on something cute, and I'll pick you up in about half an hour."_

_She was right on the dot, and we sped away in her little white convertible. After hitting up a few boutiques downtown, I felt like I had found the perfect outfit. I decided to wear a purple and teal maxi dress with gladiator sandals and all gold accessories. We decided it was dressy, but not overly dressy. Perfect for a first date._

"_I'm definitely coming over to help you get ready before you go meet him. I'll bring my hot rollers and do your hair." Becca told me._

"_Sounds like a plan! I really suck at doing my own hair, and yours always looks so good. I can't wait!" I gave her a huge hug, and we parted ways for the evening._


	5. Chapter 5

_Over the next few days, I felt like I was floating. Nothing seemed to bother me, not the bitchy customers at work, or my neat freak boss. Becca was sweet enough to listen to me gush for hours on end about my excitement and picking apart of each one of Evan's text messages and phone calls._

_Finally, the day arrived. Becca kept good on her promise to help me get ready. She styled my hair perfectly and made sure I had everything I needed for the evening, since I was such a mess I couldn't even think straight._

"_Are you sure you don't want me to drive you over there?" She asked. "You're shaking so bad I'm not sure you can drive!"_

_"Haha…good one! No, I'll be fine. I'm just excited. And nervous. And kinda feeling like I'm going to throw up."_

_She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Calm down. You will be fine. He really likes you. Trust me, I have known him a long time, and I can tell."_

_I nodded and reached for my bag. "Wish me luck!"_

"_Good luck, Sarah! Oh, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Becca winked at me, as she pushed me out the door._

_The drive across town seemed to take forever, but I finally pulled up in front of the address Evan had sent me. It was a large, two story stone house with a huge white porch and flower beds out front. I took a deep breath, and walked up to the front door. Before I even had a chance to knock, the door swung open, and there was Evan, all dressed up and looking handsome._

"_Wow." He said when he saw me. "You look amazing! Come in and sit down for a minute. I'm almost ready."_

_He ushered me into the living room. It was huge. There was the largest flat screen tv I had ever seen at one end, surrounded by varying sizes of speakers. I sat down on the brown leather couch and my eyes landed on a bookshelf full of dvds. I had never seen so many movies in one place outside of a rental shop._

_Evan walked back into the room, buttoning up his shirt. "Are you ready to go, hon?" He asked._

"_Yes. Where are we going?"_

"_Oh, I thought we'd walk to this pizza shop that's around the corner. Do you like pizza?"_

_"Yes, I do. That sounds amazing." I smiled at him._

_We headed out. As we walked, he asked me a little about my life, my interests, and family. He seemed so interested in everything I had to say. I had never had a guy be so attentive to me, and I liked it._

_We arrived at the pizza shop, called Tony's. It was in the basement of a building, and as we descended, I could smell the delicious aroma of pizza wafting through the air._

_The conversation continued as we ordered and waited for our food. I realized that we really didn't have any interests in common, but that didn't bother me at all. It was kind of nice in a way, since we were talking about things that never really came up in my normal day-to-day conversations. He liked country music, computer games, wrestling, and action movies and I had no clue about any of those, but found them fascinating when he talked about them. He just kept staring at me though, and that made me a little self conscious. _

'_Do I have something on my face?" I asked after a few minutes._

"_No, you're just so beautiful I can't take my eyes off of you." He responded._

_I blushed. Yes, it was cheesy, but it was still nice to hear._

_Finally, our pizza came out, and it was the most delicious pizza I had ever tasted. Mark one down for the small, out of the way pizza shops. They sure knew how to put the right amount of love into each pizza they made._

_After we were done, we started back towards Evan's house. After a minute he turned and asked me if he could hold my hand. I thought it was the sweetest thing I had ever heard, and of course, I told him yes._

_We walked along in silence for a couple of minutes and it was so relaxing._

"_I was thinking we could go see a movie. What do you think?" He asked me._

"_Sounds good to me. What did you want to see?" _

"_Is there anything out that you're interested in?"_

"_I never get to the movies anymore. I don't even know what's playing right now. I haven't been to the theater in at least 6 months." I told him._

_He stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you serious? Well we'll definitely have to remedy that. Do you like scary movies?"_

_"Only when I have a big, strong man like yourself with me." I jokingly told him._

"_Great. Then I know what we're going to see." He bundled me into his car, and we sped away to the theater._

_We ended up watching The Skeleton Key, which I had never even heard of, but really enjoyed. Of course, I probably would have enjoyed any movie at that point._

_After the movie, we went back to Evan's house for a drink. The man could make a mean margarita. I was starting to get tired, but neither one of us wanted the night to be over. Eventually, Evan led me to the bedroom, handed me a pair of his sleep pants and a cutoff tee, and told me to go change._

_The clothes were enormous on me, but I made them work, and when I came back out, his jaw dropped. _

_"Come here gorgeous." He picked med up and carried me to the bed. We cuddled and kissed for a while before falling asleep. He held me in his arms all night long, and I had never felt so safe and secure._


	6. Chapter 6

_Evan and I spent a lot of time together over the weeks following our first date. About a week and a half after we went out, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I thought that was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Most guys I dated didn't want to have that awkward "What are we?" discussion, and here was a man who stepped up and went after what he wanted. How refreshing._

_After a couple of months, I made the decision to move to the apartment complex right next door to Evan's house. I spent more time at his place than I did at mine anyway, and while it was too soon to actually think about moving in together, being closer while still maintaining our own spaces might not be a bad idea._

_Or so I thought. Not long after I moved, we started fighting almost constantly. The man had a temper that he had kept well hidden the first few weeks together. Most of our fights were over stupid things, and usually ended with him walking out and disappearing for a few hours, or days, while I was a teary, sobbing mess._

_One night, after a particularly violent fight where he threw a lamp at me, and punched the air right next to my face, I asked him why he didn't treat me better._

"_Because I don't want you to get used to it." He responded. "Besides, what would I get out of it?"_

_I just stared at him in shock. I really thought he loved me, but his words were so hurtful just then._

_My mom knew things weren't well with Evan and I when I was visiting her one afternoon and she overheard one of our screaming matches on the phone._

"_Honey, are you sure you want to be with this guy?" She asked me. "Screaming at each other like that just isn't normal. I'm worried about you."_

_"It's fine. Honest mom. He's just stressed out and I've been nagging him too much." I tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but I was starting to lost what self confidence I had._

_We were continually breaking up and getting back together. That was the cycle of our relationship. We would fight, and he would end up either shoving me against the wall or out of the way or call the cops and make up some story about me not leaving him alone. Then he would walk out for however long it took him to calm down while I was calling him apologizing and begging for him to take me back._

_One night, we had gone to see his friend's son play high school football in a different town. We rode up there with another couple that Evan was friends with, and had a pretty good time at the game. On the way home, however, the guys decided it would be cool to stop at a liquor store and pick up some drinks for the ride home. Everyone in the car was drinking, even the driver, and I was definitely uncomfortable with the situation. The driver was crazy sober, and I definitely did not trust him with my life while he was under the influence. When I tried to mention my concern to Evan, the whole car started to make fun of me._

"_Would you rather walk?" Evan asked me. "Because you're being stupid right now."_

_"Well, I would feel more comfortable walking than riding around with a bunch of drunk idiots." I shot back._

_That was the wrong thing to say. The driver slammed on the brakes, and Evan, who was in the passenger's seat, jumped out of the car, opened my door, and pulled me out._

"_Fine. Have fun finding your way home!" He yelled at me, as he jumped back in the car and they sped away into the night. I was left walking down a dark country road miles from the city._

_I walked and walked for what seemed like hours. In reality it was only about 45 minutes, but finally, a car drove by and slowed down. Thankfully, it was a police officer, who asked me what in the world I was doing walking by myself in the middle of the night._

_I chokingly told him the whole story, and I could see the sympathy in his eyes as he shook his head._

"_I'm glad you were being smart, but a guy that would leave his girlfriend walking down a lonely country road at this time of night needs a lesson in how to be a man. I'll take you home. What's your address?"I was shaking so badly I could barely get the words out, but I finally managed to, and in 20 minutes we were pulling up in front of my apartment._

"_Are you going to be all right?" The officer asked me._

_I nodded. "I'm fine. I just want to get some sleep."_

_"All right, well I will wait out here until you get in. Oh, and here is some information I think you should take a look at." He shoved some pamphlets into my hand. I looked, and they were all about how to get out of an abusive relationship._

_When I got in my apartment, I locked and dead bolted the door, and flopped, fully clothed onto my bed. I was out almost before my head hit the pillow._


	7. Chapter 7

_The cycle continued for several more months. During this time I became close with a couple of the older ladies I worked with. All three of us were having "man problems" and we leaned on each other for support. I had a falling out with Becca because she didn't want to believe that Evan could be abusive. She had known him for so long, and just didn't see him like that. I missed her friendship, but was glad to have the support of the two other ladies, Katie and Amanda._

_Evan couldn't stand them. He knew that they didn't approve of how he was treating me. Amanda, the more outspoken one of the two make it crystal clear to him that if he ever put me in the hospital, she was going to make sure he got run out of town._

_That Valentine's Day, we had plans to go out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant with my parents and Evan's sister Shannon and brother in law Manuel. We had planned it weeks in advance, and I was excited for a chance to get dressed up and go out for once. I had to work the morning shift that day, but was home in plenty of time to get all dolled up before we left._

"_Hey baby. Have you showered yet?" I asked him as I walked in the door._

"_No. I probably won't. It's not a big deal." He replied, barely looking up from his video game._

_I just shook my head and went to get ready. After I showered and dressed, I headed back out to the living room to see if he had started getting ready yet. Of course, he hadn't. He was still in the same exact spot playing the same exact game._

"_Hon, we have to be heading out soon. I just have to finish my makeup. You should probably change and freshen up pretty soon."_

_He just looked at me. "Why? I was just gonna go like this." He looked down at his torn jeans and ratty t shirt._

"_Evan, we talked about this weeks ago. We're going to a nice restaurant tonight, and we need to dress up."_

"_I don't see why I have to dress up." He grumbled. "You know I hate it, and yet you always try to make me get dressed up for whatever stupid thing you have going on."_

_That pissed me off. "I have asked you to look nice MAYBE 3 times out of the whole two and a half years we have been together! You knew this was what we were doing tonight. Why are you throwing a fit about it now?"_

"_Because I think it's stupid and I didn't want to do it in the first place. But fine, I will change. You owe me big time though. Don't think I'm going to forget this." He got up and started slamming things around to show his displeasure._

_I just stood there, trying not to let the tears that were welling up in my eyes spill out. He wasn't going to ruin this night for me. I wouldn't let him._

_During the whole thirty minute drive across town, Evan was completely silent. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't respond or even look at me. Of course, the happy front went up as soon as we got to the restaurant. He always tried to look and act his best in front of my parents._

_Dinner went pretty smoothly. Evan made a couple of cracks about having to dress up, but he behaved himself, for the most part. I knew my mom could tell something was wrong with me though, because she kept sneaking sidelong glances at me when she thought I wasn't looking._

_After dinner was over, Evan and I were supposed to go see a movie. We hugged everyone goodbye and got in the car, and his mood instantly changed._

"_Well, that was a complete drag." He complained. "Your parents are so boring. I'm tired now. We're going home. I don't feel like staying out any later."_

_I just sat there in silence, trying not to cry. He always got very upset when he saw that he had made me cry. It seemed to always fuel his anger even more and he would become crueler it seemed just for the fun of it._

_When we pulled up to his house, he got out and went in without another word to me. I slowly walked back to my apartment, and cried myself to sleep._


End file.
